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Lesson Objectives. 1. To help people understand that all forms of violence threaten the sanctity of life wherever violence occurs, and that ministering to those who have been hurt fulfills Christ’s command to care the least of these but also model’s God’s love in Christian witness.
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Lesson Objectives 1. To help people understand that all forms of violence threaten the sanctity of life wherever violence occurs, and that ministering to those who have been hurt fulfills Christ’s command to care the least of these but also model’s God’s love in Christian witness. 2. To learn how issues of violence and the sanctity of life intersect with missions in the Church of the Nazarene, providing opportunity to show God’s love, and also discover how these present obstacles and danger to the mission work and workers. 3. To engage people with stores of how Nazarene missions intersects with the issues of violence and to engage them in prayer for the safety of our missionaries as well as support of global efforts to alleviate
It is important to keep in mind that “sanctity of life” is a phrase that evangelical Christianity has tended to associate almost exclusively with the issues of abortion, stem cell research, and euthanasia. However, this phrase speaks to other issues as well, including war, genocide, creation care, domestic violence and capital punishment to name a few. To claim that life is sacred is to claim the miraculous, but, of course, life is sacred because all life is of God. There is no life apart from Him, the resurrected and living one.
Story: Seeking Refuge BySimone Finneyon May 24, 2009 Amman, Jordan––Maria* and her family stayed in Baghdad as long as they could after the United States declared war on Iraq in 2003. It’s not that things had always been easy––as Christians, there was always a measure of tension with Muslim neighbors. But her husband owned a successful window installation shop in the city, her pre-school-age son Rani* enjoyed PlayStation at home, and her 11-year-old daughter Samiya* loved grade school. Maria had lived in Iraq since she was born, family was nearby, and 35 years had made it home. For the rest of the story look at the accompanying handout
Discussion Question Maria’s story is a reminder of those who have been displaced by the violence of war. How do violence and death of war threaten our conviction of the sanctity of life? How should missionaries and churches in war respond to the travesty of death?
The Sanctity of Life All life is sacred to God, because all life finds its being and purpose in His life. He holds all life sacred because he is the source of all life. A holy God gives source to holy life. A holy Creator creates holy creatures. As the living water of life, He constantly affirms, nourishes and affirms it.
The Sanctity of Life “Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.” (2 Samuel 14:14)
Discussion Questions: • The story of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection—the gospel of hope—teaches us that the violence of the world, and the world’s contempt for the sanctity of life, isn’t as the love of God and God’s power to redeem and renew life in his image. What do the crucifixion and resurrection teach us about what to expect when we participate in His mission in the world? What do the crucifixion and resurrection tech us about what God means when He teaches us in Micah “to act justly”? • How can we show in practical ways to those around us sanctity of life and encourage them to see life as God sees it?
Do you know how loved you are? By Africa Region on July 26, 2011 Do you know how loved you are? Deep brown eyes followed us as we played games in a school yard. Do you know how loved you are? Fingers curled around ours, skipping over puddles. Do you know how loved you are? Standing by the fence posts surrounding our work site, they watched us
1. What about the church of the Nazarene? Arguably, all missions work done by the church could be linked to the sanctity of life, but here are just a few of the specific ways the Church of the Nazarene is working right now to improve the lives of brothers and sisters in Christ across the world, showing them the love of God in the process.
Love—mightiest of words—permeated our time in Kenya. Speaking for the entire team, I can say that we felt it and lived it. From the moment we arrived in Nairobi, we became a unit. Each hour we spent together was another step in our becoming a family, embracing not only the members of our team but the people we encountered, lived with, worked with.
The most important thing I (and I daresay, we) learned on our journey was not how to construct a rebar cage, or sing in Luo, or properly eat a termite. It was to love, openly and with abandon. We built a church, taught Bible lessons, viewed breathtaking landscapes and met beautiful, remarkable people, all in a manner that can truly be called God’s. Do you know how loved you are? Let me tell you. Let me show you.
Areas of work Child Development. We work with 23 Child Development Centers (CDCs) in 8 African countries. The CDCs cover spiritual, intellectual, social & emotional, and physical (nutrition & health) needs. The CDCs are part of their respective communities, and community members contribute (with volunteers) to the programs. We consult, support and train workers in the activities of the center. Through creative fundraising endeavors the centers aim to become financially independent over a period of five years. HIV/AIDS: prevention and care.Our current programs are designed to create awareness, provide training & education in responsible behavior, abstinence & faithfulness, and de-stigmatization. We also work in home-based care and with volunteer caregivers. Through vocational, agricultural and livestock projects, we help care-givers of orphans to attain food-security and a little income for themselves and their children. We also run men’s clubs.
Water & Sanitation (WATSAN).Our current programs include installing solar powered wells in Swaziland and Kenya. Over 50 wells are being installed in Swaziland over a three year period, bringing much needed water and improving the health of local communities. Disaster Relief.We have delivered food aid in countries in southern and eastern Africa that were heavily affected by severe droughts. In addition, by distributing seeds and providing the necessary training, we ensure the food security of beneficiary families after the next harvest. We have also provided emergency household kits with the most basic goods a family needs to survive. Community Development. ‘Helping People to Help Themselves’. This is achieved through agricultural projects, wells for villages, boats for fishermen, sewing machines for single women and AIDS orphan care-givers, or vocational school projects.
ADDRESS: NAZARENE COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES Nazarene Building 17 Botes Street Cnr Ontdekkers Rd & Botes Street Florida Park, 1709 Gauteng, South Africa NCM-Africa P.O. Box 44 Florida, 1710 South Africa Tel: +27-11-472 3190 Fax: +27-11-472 2788 E-mail: info@ncm-africa.org Website: www.ncm-africa.org
WORK AND WITNESS GLOBAL MINISTRIES CENTER 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lexena KS 66220 WMWW@NAZARENE.ORG
Research Work and Witness opportunities at <www.workand witness.org/projects> and try to find a project that directly benefits those with physical limitations. Consider taking one of these with small group, youth group, or as a church.
Let’s face it, missions continue to change, but never let us forget our call to make disciples in the nations. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).
